Railway car



J. F. BAKER RAILWAY CAR Aug. 6, 1929.

Filed Dec. 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. F'. BAKER RAI LWAY CAR Aug. 6, 1929.

Filed Dec. 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. F. BAKER Aug. 6, 1929.

RAILWAY CAR Filed Dec. 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. F. BAKER RAILWAY CAR Aug. 6, 1929.

Filed Dec. 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIIIHEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHH J. F. BAKER RAILWAY CAR Aug. 6, 1929.

5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 31, 1927 lllllfi 1 If f 1Q,

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i|IIlllllllllflllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllfllfllllfil Patented Au 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN FRANK BAKER, F KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

RAILWAY CAR.

. Application filed December 31, 1927. Serial No. 243,985.

My improvement relates particularly to railways in which provision is made for dumping loose material through the bottom of a car at a chosen point on the track of a a railway, the bottom or floor of the car consisting of doors hinged on lines transverse to the length of the car, the doors being normally in the horizontal position and adapted to turn downward on their hinges for the dis in charge of the material in the car.

For a similar invention, reference is made to Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,268,390, granted to Hugh W. Sanford, June 4,1918.

In the car of that patent, there are three bottom doors, the first being hinged to the rear car axle, the second being hinged to the front car axle, and the third being hinged to a rod or shaft supported at the forward end 2 of the car.

The object of this invention is to provide means for hinging the first and second doors by means different from the means disclosed by the above-mentioned patent.

Normally the rear door is held in horizontal position by latch mechanism which is to be released by means located at the discharge station or tipple, that means acting when the car reaches that station, as described in the aboveanentioned Letters Patent. 4

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a car and track structure illustrating my improvement, the end sills or bumpers being omitted from the car;

V Fig. 2 is an elevation of the left hand or rear end of the same structure;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal upright section on the line, 3-3, of Fig. 2, looking toward the left;

' Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line,

4'l, of Fig. 3; 1

Fig. 5 is a transverse upright section on the line, 5-5, of Figs. 1 and 4, looking toward the left, parts, being omitted and the hanger being shown in the upright position;

Fig. 6 is a section like Fig. 3, the car being represented as having discharged its lead and moving forward for the closing of the doors; Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line, 7-7,

of Fig. 4:, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Figs. 8 to 18, inclusive, illustrate other forms of the hanger structure.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, of

the drawings, A, A, are track rails resting on t1es, A and piers, A B, B, are ordinary car wheels applied to the ends of the axles, C, C. D, D are the car body walls. D D are side sills forming portions of the car. The ends of these sills are joined by the end sills or bumpers (not shown). In the form shown, these side sills are metal channels. Bearings, C seated in the channels of the sid; slls receive the axles, G, (Figs. 3, 4:, 5 an 6 The end of the car at the right, as viewed in the drawings, is the forward end of the car, and it is to be understood that the car moves forward for dumping and for closing the doors after the load has been discharged. The discharge is downward between the rails, A, and the place at which the discharge is effected is called the dumping station or tip ple. Beneath the rails, A, the material dis charged from the car may be received by a. chute or another car or any other suitable device, not shown. 7

Three doors, E, E and E are placed in series to form the bottom of the car. Since the rearmost of these three doors, E, controls the series, it may be regarded as the first of the series and for that reason he described Said door has at its forward edge three pairs of hinge members, C as hereinafter described. At its rear edge, a latch bar, E is attached to the lower face of the door and projects a little way rearward of said rear edge. On the rear end of the car body and in an upright plane transverse to the length of the car body is a large bell crank, pivoted at E to the car body, and having an upright arm. E and a horizontal arm, E. On the arm, E, is a hook, E adapted to extend beneath the latch bar or arm, E the bell crank being so arranged as to bring its pivot, E above the hook, whereby the arm, E, bearing the hook may swing toward and from the upright, middle, longitudinal plane of the car when the horizontal arm, E, of the bell crank, by its preponderating weight, tends to tilt the bell crank so as to move said hook toward said plane. Said hook has a bevel face, E adapted to be engaged by the latch bar or arm, E when the latter is carried upward by the upward movement of the rear portion of the door. E, into the closed position.

When said bar, E thus rests on the hook, E said door is held firmly in its upper or closed position. And this condition continues until said hook is moved outward far enough to allow the latch bar, E and the door to descend. Said hook is made to move outward by raising the horizontal arm, E, of the bell crank. To cause said arm to rise automatically when the car reaches the dumping station, a cam member, A is placed. at the side of the track in position to engage the lower edge of said arm, E and cause said arm to ride upward on said cam member during the further forward movement of the car, the arm, E, being extended outward far enough to bring said cam member into the path of said ar Said door has at its front edge three pairs.

of hinges, C ,-each formed by folding a strap upon itself and shaped to extend around the shaft, F, which is parallel to and lower than and a little forward of the adjacent axle, C,

and is approximately as long as the distance between the inner face of one side sill and the inner face of the other side sill. The overlapping parts of the hinge member are joined to eachother and to the door by means of rivets, C, extendin through said overlapping parts and the oor. 1

Each end of the shaft, F, rests in the lower part of an upright hanger, F which is laced near the inner face of the adjacent si e sill. The upper end of said hanger has a bearing,

F through which the axlebearing, C extends. (Figs. 2, 5 and 6).

This construction allows placing the hinge Furthermore, the door is not supported on a member which rotates-not on the axle, C, which is sometimes made rotatable in cars of this general type. Thus the hinge members, C are not subjected towear due to such rotation.

The second or middle door, E is also provided with hinge member's, G which receive a a shaft, F, which is supported b hangers, F,

having bearin s, F through ,w -ich the other axle bearing, extends.

The forward end of the forward or third door, E is supported by a hinge shaft, F, ex-

' tending through the hinge members," 0

Said'sha'ft issupported in hangers, F one of which is fixed to the inner fate of each side sill by means of bolts or rivets, F i

' WVhen the doors, E and E are in the closed position, the lower ends of the hangers, F are turned forward pendulum fashion, whereby the rear and the middle hinge shafts, F, are held in their forward positions.

Then the rear edge of the forward or third door rests on the forward edge of the middle or second door, while the rear edge of the second door rests on and is engaged by the part of the rear or first door, while the rear Y the rear edge of the door, E and holds it in its forward position, whereby the door, E supports the rear edge of the forward door, E For making engagement between the rear door and the middle door, a shoulder, E is formed on the rear door a little back of the forward edge of the rear door in position to bear against the rear edge of the middle door.

Mechanism for forcing the rear door forward during its upward or closing movement will be described further on.

I have now described how the latch mechanism holds the rear door in the closed position, and how that door holds the middle or second door .in the closed position, and how that door holds the forward or third door in the closed position.

When the car moves forward on the track to cross the tipple or other discharge station, and the horizontal arm, E, of the bell crank meets the stationary cam, A at the side of the track, said arm will ride upward on that cam, whereby the bell crank is tilted and the upright arm, E of the bell crank is moved outward, whereby the hook, E is released from the latch bar, E already described as extending rearward on the rear door. Then the rear door, by the downward action of its own weight and the weight of the materials resting on that door, is turned downward to hang on its hinge shaft, F. Then the weight of the door will draw the hangers, F backward into the upright position. To limit said movement, a stop, F is placed on the side sill, D, at the rear of the hangers to meet the hangers when the latter are in the upright position, or are moved far enough to release the rear edge of the second or middle door. A. stop, F is also placed forward of the hangers to limit their forward movement.

Immediately upon the release of the rear edge of the second door, the weight of that door and the weight of the material resting thereon will cause the downward turnin of that door, and then the weight of that oor will cause the adjacent hangers, F to turn rearward, pendulum fashion, until the rear edge of the third or forward door is released from the middle door. Stops, F are also applied on the side sills for limiting the rearward movement and the forward movement of the hangers, E which support the middle door.

Immediately upon the release of the rear edgeof the forward door, the weight of that door and the weight of the material resting on that door will cause said door to turn downward on its hinge shaft, F. But the hangers, F which support said shaft, need not swing. As above described, they are fixed on the side sills.

When all the doors have been released and turned downward for the discharge of the load, the continued forward movement of the car brings the lower face of the forward door into engagement with a stationary cam memher, A, located on the track between the rails, A, and rising to a sufficient height to force the rear portion of saiddoor upward a little way above its normal position.- Said cam member is extended horizontally far enough to maintain its engagement with the forward door until the other two doors have been, suc cessrvely, 1n the same manner, engaged by the lnchned portion of sad cam and have been thereby forced upward.

But during such upward movement, the rear door and the middle door must be moved forward relative to the car body, in order that the forward edge of the middle door may be under the rear edge of the forward door, and in order that the forward edge of the rear door may be under the rear edge of the middle door. This involves swinging the hangers, F forward into the posit-ion occupied by them before the doors were released.

Means for so forcing the rear door and the middle door will now be described.

Immediately at the rear of the latch mechanism, a shaft, G, extends horizontally across the space between the side sills, D and has its ends seated rotatably in said sills. Near each side sill a driving member, G is mounted on said shaft and secured thereto by means of a set screw, G". This member is directed forward when the rear door is in the closed position, the rear ed e of the door bearing against a shoulder, (id, and against an arm, dG which extends forward above said shoul- As already described, the rear door is held in its closed position by the latch mechanism. Thus the latch mechanism, through the medium of the door, holds the shaft, G, and the driving members, G stationary. As will now be understood, the driving members, G hold the rear door in the forward position, the hangers, F being in their forward position. When the latch mechanism releases the rear door, as already described, the door will turn downward, and the driving mem bers, G will, due to their weight, turn downward and turn the shaft, G, with them. To limit the downward movement of the driving members, a stop, G, is placed on the inner face of one of the side sills, D in po sition to meet the driving member during its downward movement. This brings the arm, "Gd, into position to meet the door when the door is raised by the cam member, A. Further upward movement of the door will cause the lifting of said arm, the arm sliding on the upper face of the door until the rear edge of the door bears against the shoulder, G With the further upward turning of the driving members on the axial line of the shaft, G, the shoulder, G must move forward. Thereby the rear door and its hangers are forced forward. This movement of the rear door is timed to occur when the middle door is al- .ready a little above its normal position. .This

allows the forward ed 'e of the rear door to move under the rear edge of the middle door 0 edge of the forward door, that door being at the tune, as above described, elevated a little above its normal position.

In the forms illustrated by Figs. 8 to 18, inclusive, the hangers, F of Figs. 1 to,7, inclusive, are substituted by hangers, F which are supported on axes higher than'the axles, C, it being understood that there is such a hanger at each side of'the car.

In Figs. 8 and 9, a hanger shaft, H, extends through the upper part of the side sill, D it being understood that that shaft extends to and is supported in the same manner by the other side sill. The hanger, F, is supported by the shaft, H, for oscillation, the sameas described in connection with Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive. A hinge shaft, F, is supported by the hanger of the form illustrated by Fig. 8, and the door, E, or E is supported on said shaft, as described in connection with Figs.

1 to 7 inclusive. In Fig. 9, a stub shaft, H

located at each side sill, is substituted for the shaft, F. In Fig. 10, the construction is the same as in Fig. 8, excepting that a stub, H is placed at each side sill in lieu of the continuous shaft, H, of Figs. 8 and 9. In Fig. 11, the stub shafts, H and Il take the place of the shafts, H and F, respectively. In Figs. 12 and 13, the shaft, H, is present, but is located above the side sills, D In those forms, this shaft, H, is seated in the wooden side wall, I), which rests on the side sill. In Fig. 12, the shaft, F, extends from the hanger, F, to the companion hanger, F. In Fig. '13, the stubs, H are substituted for the shaft, F.

In Fig. 1 1, the hanger, F, is supported on a stub, H which is supported by a metal strap, H extending upward on the inner face of the body wall, I), and is secured to said wall by means of bolts, or rivets, H In that form the hanger supports the shaft, F. In Figs. 15 and 16, shaft, H, is supported in a bearing, H resting on the upper flange of the side sill, D On the lower end of the hanger, F, in Fig. 15, a stub, H is used in lieu of the shaft, F.

In Fig. 17, the structure is the same as in Fig. 14:, excepting that the body wall, D, is formed of plate metal instead of wood, rivets, H joining the strap, H and the wall, D.

hanger agalnst the axle, or the axle bearing,

if the bearing is present, when the hanger is in the upright or rear position. Thus the axle or axle bearing serves as a stop for limit ing the rearward movement of the hanger. In Fig. 14, the axle, G, and the hanger, F, are shown in the same relation as in Fig. 18, the axle bearing, C of Figs. 5 and 6 beifig present to serve as a stop for the hanger, F.

' It is now to be noted that in none of the forms of my structure are the hangers supported on,the axles. Therefore, as already explained, the hangers arenot worn by the rotation of the axles. And in the forms illustrated by Figs. 8 to 18, inclusive, the hangers, F are supported independently of the axles and the axle bearings, C Thus the height of the upper ends of the hangers is not limited as is the case when they are hung on the axle or on the axle bearings. That allows making the hangers long. Then the hangers may swing through the desired distance on a longer radius, whereby the lower ends of the hangers move in paths which are nearly horizontal, whereby the forward end of the door supported by the hangers moves in a path which is nearly horizontal. This not only diminishes physical energy required for the swinging of the door; but this also facilitates so arranging and proportioning the parts as to easily bring the forward part of the hanger-supported doors under the rear edge of the next forward door. Furthermore, supfixed on the side sills.

its hangers, F

porting the hangers independently of the axles and the axle-bearings facilitates applying the hangers during the assembling of the car and facilitates detaching and replacing the hangers when repairs are needed. The body structureiplus the hangers and the doors may be assembled complete, and the axles and wheels of desired gauge afterward attached. And thereafter, broken wheels and axles may be removed without disturbing the doors and hangers. a

The car body structure consists of the walls, D, the side sills, D and the axle bearings, C, In all the forms herein described, the hangers are supported on the body structure.

As above stated, when the rear. door is released it tends to pull its hinge shaft, F, and forward. That tendency is supplemented by the downward pressure of the rear edge of the middle door on the rear door. .When the downward and forward movement of the rear door has released the rear edge of the middle door, the middle door will turn downward and tend to pull its hangers and hinge shaft rearward. That tendency is then supplemented by the downward pressure of the rear edge of the forward door.

In Figs. 3 and '6, the forward part of the middle door is shown concentric with the adjacent hinge shaft, F. That form allows the middle door to turn downward without liftdoor.

But as long as the rear door and the middle door are, respectively, in engagement with the next forward door, the rear edge of the next forward door tends to press thenext rearward door rearward. That action on those doors is a factor in the disengaging of the doors from each other.

I claim as my invention,

1. In a drop-bottom dump, car, the combination of a plurality of bottom doors lo cated below the level of the car axles and one of which doors is mounted to turn on a horizontal axis swinging on a second axis located above the level of the car axles, means actuated on the closure of the doors and imparting swinging movement to said swinging axis, and means carried by said swinging axis into supporting engagement with the next forward door when said doors are in closed position.

2. In a drop-bottom dump. car, the combination of a front bottom door hinged to the car, a rear bottom door located below the level of the car axles and mounted to thrn on a horizontal axis swinging on a second axis located above the level of the car axle, means actuated on the closure of said rear door and imparting swinging movement to said swinging axis, and means carried by said swinging axis into supporting engagementwith said front door.

3. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a bottom .door hinged to the car, a plurality of bottom doors located below the level of the car axles and each mounted to turn on a horizontal axis swinging on a second axis located above" the level of the car axles, means actuated on the closure of the doors and imparting swinging movement to said swinging axes, and means carried by each of said axes into supporting engagement with the next forward door.

4. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a front bottom door hinged to the forward end of the car, a plurality of bottom doors located below the level of the car axles and arranged in series to the rear of the front door and each mounted to turn on a horizontal axis swinging on a second axis located above the level of the car axles, means actuated on the closure of the rearmost door in said series and imparting swinging movement to said swinging axes, and means carward part of the car, a rear door located below the level of the car axles and mounted to turn on a horizontal axis swinging on a second axis located above the level of the car axles, and means on'said rear door supporting said first door when the same are in closed position.

' 6. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a series of bottom closure doors arranged one in front of the other and located below the level of the car axles, an axis on which the front door turns at its forward end, an axis for each of the other doors of the series, each such axis swinging on a second axis located above the level of the car axles, means imparting swinging movement to said axes on closing the doors, and means actuated by said swinging movement into supporting engagement with the rear door.

7. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a car body and axles supporting the same, a pair of links swinging from an axis located above the level of the car axles and said links extending below the level of said axles, a rear door mounted to turn on an axis supported by said links, a second door hinged in front of said rear door with its free edge adiacent said link-supported axis, means imparting swinging movement to said links and the axis carried thereby on the closure of the doors, and means actuated by said swinging movement into supporting engagement with said real-door. V

8. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a car body, axles supporting the same, pairsof links swinging on axes located above the level of the car axles to swing longitudinally of the car and said'links extending below the level of the car axles, doors carried by said swinging links on horizontal axes and extending forward across said axes, and means at the rear door for moving said door forward during its closing movement, such forward movement bringing the forward end of said door into supporting engagement with the rear edge of the next forward door.

9. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a car body, axles supporting the same, pairs of links swinging on axes located above the level of the car axles to swing longitudinally of the car, doors carried by said swinging links on horizontal axes located below the level of the car axles and said door lower ends of said hangers, means for moving the rear door forward during its closing movement and for holding it in its closed position, the rear door being adapted to ongage the forward door during the closing and forward'movement of the rear door.

11. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of pairs of hangers supported on the car body structure, the rear pairs of hangers extending above and below the level of the car axles and being hinged to swing parallel to the length of the car, 'a plurality of bottom doors each having its forward edge hinged to the lower ends of a pair of said hangers, means for moving the rear door forward during its closing movement and for holding it in its closed position, each door being adapted to engage the next forward door during the closing and forward movement of the rear door.

12. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of pairs of hangers supported on the car body structure, the rear pairs of hangers extending above and below the level of the car axles and being hinged to swing parallel to the length of the car on axes located above the level of the car axles and axle bearings, a plurality of bottom doors each having its forward edge hinged to the lower ends of a pair of said hangers, means for moving the rear door forward during its closing movement and for holding it in its closed position, each door being adapted to engage the next forward door during the closing and forward movement of the rear door.

13. In a drop-bottom dump car comprising side sills and axles below the upper parts of the side sills, the combination of pairs of hangers supported by members hinged on the upper part of the side sills and extending below the level of the car axles to swing parallel to the length of the car, a plurality of bottom doors each having its forward edge hinged to the lower ends of a pair of said hangers, means for moving the rear door forward during its closing movement and for holding it in its closed position, each door being adapted to engage the next forward door during the closing and forward movement of the rear door. 14. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a bottom door hinged to the forward end of the car, a shaft supported at the rear of said door above the level of the car axle, a pair of hangers supported by said shaft to swing parallel to the length of the car and extending below the level of the car axles and axle bearings, a bottom door having its forward edge hinged to the lower ends of said hangers, means for moving the rear door forward during its closing movement and for holding it in its closed position, the rear door being adapted to engage the forward door during the closing and forward movement of the rear door.

15. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a car body and axles supporting the same, a pair of links adjacent one of said axles and swingin from an axis located above the-level of said axle and said links ex tending below the level of said axle a door mounted to turn on an axis supported by the lower ends of said links, asecond door hinged in front of said first-named door with its free edgeadj acent said link-supported axis, means for imparting swinging movement to said links and the axis carried thereby on the closure of the doors, and means actuated by said swinging movement into supporting engagement with said second door.

16. In a drop-bottom dump car, the combination of a front door hinged to the car, a pair of hangers hinged on an axis located above the level of the car axles and said hangers extending below the level of the axles, a-rear door supported by said hangers,

means actuated during the closing of said rear door for imparting swinging movement to the hangers of the rear door, and releasable means for holding the rear door in the closed v.position.

' swinging on a second axis located above and parallel to the first axis, the forward part of saidrear door being substantially concentric with said first axis, and the forward part of the forward of said doors being mounted to turn on a horizontal axis and the rear edge of said forward door resting on the concentrio part of the other door.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, this 23dday of November, in the year one thousand nine hundred and twent -seven.

JOHN FRANK BA ER. 

